What 5 things should readers know about you?
- I’m a foodie! I love to cook and try all kinds of different recipes.
- My favorite color is purple yet I don’t have any purple clothing- weird
- As much as I love food, I could totally live on bread and coffee
- I’m hosting a French exchange student for 6 weeks this summer
- I’m addicted to shopping at White House Black Market
Hmmm…I really like pink, and I just realized the other day I don’t have much pink clothing either—very odd!
Where did the inspiration for this book come from?
I got the inspiration for this book while at the playground with my toddler. She wouldn’t go down the slide and my friend was trying to show her and almost got stuck. That became my opening scene!
I like it! 🙂
How long have you been writing, and what (or who) inspired you to start?
I’ve been writing for about 10 years. I started when I had my first child and was at home. I was reading so much, I finally decided to try my hand at writing.
Kudos for being able to write with small children at home! I’ll admit—I napped a lot back then. And read, of course…
What are you working on right now? What can readers look for from you in the next year?
I’m working on #3 in my Anyone But You Bliss series called Perfect on Paper. I’m hoping it will be released before Christmas.
Great! Can’t wait…
If you had to “sell” your book in a single Tweet, what would you say?
For the first time in his star-studded life, he was in love—no acting necessary
Jennifer Shirk has a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy-which has in NO WAY at all helped her with her writing career. But she likes to point it out, since it shows romantic-at-hearts come in all shapes, sizes, and mind-numbing educations.
She writes sweet (and sometimes even funny) romances for Samhain Publishing, Avalon Books/Montlake Romance and now Entangled Publishing. She won third place in the RWA 2006 NYC’s Kathryn Hayes Love and Laughter Contest with her first book, THE ROLE OF A LIFETIME. Recently, her novel SUNNY DAYS FOR SAM won the
2013 Golden Quill Published Authors Contest for Best Traditional Romance.
Lately she’s been on a serious exercise kick. But don’t hold that against her.
Except the actor turns out to be Ben Capshaw—a playboy who’s never serious, always joking around, and who knows zero about kids or being a parent. Case in
point: his involvement in the untimely death of the preschool’s class pet…
“I’d love to come,” he answered.
What?
“Hip, hip, hooray!” Hannah shouted as she galloped around the office.
Sandra gritted her teeth. Ben wasn’t helping the situation, standing there, laughing as her daughter jumped her little heart out. Frustration constricted in her chest, since she was left with no choice but to be the bad guy. No matter. She was used to it. The way she always made up excuses for her ex-husband, she had the bad guy routine down to an art form by now.
“Sweetie,” she said, taking her daughter by the shoulders, “Big Bens is a very busy”
“Sandra, I said I’d love to come.”
She looked up and saw he was serious. He really didn’t want her getting him out of lunch on the boardwalk. Huh. That was a new one to her. But out of habit, she tried one more time. “Aren’t you worried about being recognized?”
He flashed her a confident grin, reaching deep into his pocket, whipping out what looked like a black necklace and twirling it around his index finger.
“What’s that?” she asked.
Hannah’s little hands went for the object, but Ben yanked it out of her reach just in time. “Nice try.” He looked at Sandra, his grin widening. “It’s my eye patch.”
“Your eye patch,” she repeated dully. “Has this role you’re after changed to a pirates-of-the-Jersey-shore movie?”
“No,” he said with a chuckle. “Since you had me shave, it’s my new disguise. I stopped at a convenience store the other day and got accosted by two teenage girls who recognized me as soon as I reached for a gallon of milk. One of them even pinched my—”
“I get it,” Sandra said, holding up a hand.
“I’m just saying. Fame isn’t easy.”
Poor baby. “So now you honestly walk around wearing that thing?”
He answered her question by putting it on.
Oh, dear. She hated to admit it, but the eye patch looked good on him. Why was she even surprised? Of course it did. He was a handsome man, and now he made one heck of a handsome pirate. To her disgust, her heart even did a somersault.
That settled it. Ben coming with them to lunch had bad idea written all over it. She looked to Hannah, hoping for an ally, or at the very least, some kind of sign. “What do you think, sweetie? Do you want to go to lunch with a scary pirate?”
“Pi-rate, pi-rate, pi-rate,” her little traitor began to chant, giggling and dancing around some more.
Not the sign she’d hoped for.
Sandra shrugged at Ben. “I guess you can come with us.”
“Arr, shiver me timbers,” he said in an exaggerated pirate twang. He winked his uncovered eye at Hannah and hooked his thumbs in his pants. “This is the nicest your mom’s been to a poor old bloke like meself in days.”
Sandra poked a finger in his chest but grinned. “Don’t make me regret this, or you’ll walk the plank.”
He grinned back and, with that eye patch, turned kneemeltingly rakish in under ten seconds flat. “Aye, I won’t be asking you to make me Roger jolly, if that’s what has you worrying.”
She laughed. Then he surprised her by taking her hand in his and raising it up to his lips. “I’ve already given you me word,” he said huskily, still in his pirate character.
“Friendship and perhaps a kind word here and there ’tis all I’m after.”
Thanks for having me!!
Thank you for featuring Jennifer!
I love Jennifer!! Thanks for hosting this giveaway, have a great weekend Becky!!
My pleasure! Thank you so much for stopping by 🙂
Happy to!
Thanks, Neena! You too 🙂